RETRACTOR PRETENSIONER ASSEMBLY

摘要

A pretensioner assembly for motor vehicle belt restraint systems is provided. The pretensioner assembly includes a tube in fluid communication with a gas generator and a polymer rod disposed therein that travels in a first direction in response to actuation of the gas generator. The polymer rod is plastically deformable and engages a sprocket to rotate the sprocket in response to the travel of the rod, where rotation of the sprocket causes pretensioning. The rod has a non-constant cross-section along its length. The rod becomes locked after actuation to prevent travel in an opposite direction. The system further includes a seal member and slug member disposed between the rod and the gas generator, where the seal member is relatively flexible and the slug member is relatively hard.

主权项

1. A seatbelt pretensioning retractor assembly for use in a passenger vehicle, the system comprising:
a housing adapted for being mounted to a vehicle structure; a tube having an arcuate and curved shape having a first end in fluid communication with a gas generator and an exit in fluid communication with an interior cavity of the housing; a sprocket rotatably mounted to the housing and fixedly coupled to a spindle adapted for taking up seatbelt webbing during pretensioning, the sprocket having a plurality of vanes; a curved guide of the housing disposed on an opposite side of the sprocket from the exit of the tube; a polymer rod disposed within the tube and having a non-constant cross-section with a main body portion and an enlarged portion, wherein the polymer rod is plastically deformable; wherein the polymer rod exits the tube, along a perimeter of the sprocket, and toward the curved guide in response to an actuation by the gas generator to rotate the sprocket and spindle to take up seatbelt webbing.